Michael Jordan: a Biography
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Michael Jordan: A Biography David L. Porter Greenwood Press MICHAEL JORDAN Recent Titles in Greenwood Biographies Tiger Woods: A Biography Lawrence J. Londino Mohandas K. Gandhi: A Biography Patricia Cronin Marcello Muhammad Ali: A Biography Anthony O. Edmonds Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Biography Roger Bruns Wilma Rudolph: A Biography Maureen M. Smith Condoleezza Rice: A Biography Jacqueline Edmondson Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography Louise Krasniewicz and Michael Blitz Billie Holiday: A Biography Meg Greene Elvis Presley: A Biography Kathleen Tracy Shaquille O’Neal: A Biography Murry R. Nelson Dr. Dre: A Biography John Borgmeyer Bonnie and Clyde: A Biography Nate Hendley Martha Stewart: A Biography Joann F. Price MICHAEL JORDAN A Biography David L. Porter GREENWOOD BIOGRAPHIES GREENWOOD PRESS WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT • LONDON Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Porter, David L., 1941- Michael Jordan : a biography / David L. Porter. p. cm. — (Greenwood biographies, ISSN 1540–4900) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-313-33767-3 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-313-33767-5 (alk. paper) 1. Jordan, Michael, 1963- 2. Basketball players—United States— Biography. I. Title. GV884.J67P67 2007 796.323092—dc22 [B] 2007009605 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2007 by David L. Porter All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007009605 ISBN-13: 978–0–313–33767–3 ISBN-10: 0–313–33767–5 ISSN: 1540–4900 First published in 2007 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS Series Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Timeline of Events in the Life of Michael Jordan xv Chapter 1 The Formative Years, 1963–1984 1 Chapter 2 The Building Years, 1984 –1988 23 Chapter 3 The Ascendant Years, 1988 –1991 45 Chapter 4 The Triumphant and Transition Years, 1991–1995 73 Chapter 5 The Pinnacle Years, 1995–1998 99 Chapter 6 The Disappointing Years, 1999–2006 127 Chapter 7 The Legendary Jordan 149 Appendix: Michael Jordan Statistics 155 Annotated Bibliography 159 Index 165 Photo essay follows page 72. SERIES FOREWORD In response to high school and public library needs, Greenwood devel- oped this distinguished series of full-length biographies specifically for student use. Prepared by field experts and professionals, these engaging biographies are tailored for high school students who need challenging yet accessible biographies. Ideal for secondary school assignments, the length, format, and subject areas are designed to meet educators’ requirements and students’ interests. Greenwood offers an extensive selection of biographies spanning all curriculum-related subject areas including social studies, the sciences, literature and the arts, history and politics, as well as popular culture, covering public figures and famous personalities from all time periods and backgrounds, both historic and contemporary, who have made an impact on American and/or world culture. Greenwood biographies were chosen based on comprehensive feedback from librarians and educators. Con- sideration was given to both curriculum relevance and inherent interest. The result is an intriguing mix of the well known and the unexpected, the saints and sinners from long-ago history and contemporary pop culture. Readers will find a wide array of subject choices from fascinating crime figures like Al Capone to inspiring pioneers like Margaret Mead, from the greatest minds of our time like Stephen Hawking to the most amazing success stories of our day like J. K. Rowling. While the emphasis is on fact, not glorification, the books are meant to be fun to read. Each volume provides in-depth information about the subject’s life from birth through childhood, the teen years, and adulthood. viii SERIES FOREWORD A thorough account relates family background and education, traces personal and professional influences, and explores struggles, accomplish- ments, and contributions. A timeline highlights the most significant life events against a historical perspective. Bibliographies supplement the ref- erence value of each volume. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Although I did not have an opportunity to interview Jordan, his four memoirs provided numerous insights into the qualities that made him a truly exceptional athlete and successful businessman. For the Love of the Game (1998) and Driven from Within (2005) were especially helpful resources for information about his formative years. This work especially benefited from the insights of four people who have authored previous books about Jordan. Dean Smith’s A Coach ’ s Life (1999) helped illuminate Jordan’s years at North Carolina, and Phil Jackson’s Sacred Hoops was an invaluable source for Jordan’s years with the Chicago Bulls. David Halberstam’s Playing for Keeps (1999) gave me a fuller understanding of how Jordan shaped the world around him, and Walter LaFeber’s Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism (1999) pro- vided perspective on Jordan’s enormous influence beyond the basketball court. I also thank the William Penn University faculty, administration, and students who listened to me share some of my ideas about Jordan at a Chautauqua lecture in March of 2006. My wife, Marilyn, patiently lis- tened to me relate numerous stories about Jordan. Thanks to Kristi Ward, Esther Silverman, and Apex Publishing for their valuable editorial suggestions in the later stages of writing this book. INTRODUCTION THE JORDAN MYSTIQUE A monument stands in front of the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls National Basketball Association team. A 2,000-pound bronze statue features Michael Jordan in full flight, ready to slam dunk the ball, to the chagrin of cowering defenders. The front panel capsulizes the phenom- enal athlete: “The best there ever was. The best there ever will be.” 1 Jordan needs no introduction. He is among the best-known and wealthiest athletes in the history of organized sports. With the possible exceptions of boxer Muhammad Ali and baseball player Babe Ruth, no athlete has made a greater impact on American society. ESPN in 1999 voted Jordan the greatest twentieth-century athlete, and the Associated Press ranked him second, behind Babe Ruth. Jordan has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated more than 50 times since 1983 and was named the magazine’s “Sportsman of the Year” in 1991. 2 Sports Illustrated contributor Jack McCallum wrote that Jordan “stands alone on the mountaintop, unquestionably the most famous athlete on the planet and one of its most famous citizens of any kind.” He called him a sportsman who “has surpassed every standard by which we gauge the fame of an athlete and, with few exceptions, has handled the adulation with a preternatural grace and ease that have cut across the lines of race, age, and gender. He transcends sports.” 3 After struggling initially, Jordan blossomed into a basketball star at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. He became a national celebrity as a freshman guard at the University of North Carolina, xii INTRODUCTION converting a 15-foot jump shot in the waning seconds of the 1982 NCAA Championship game to defeat Georgetown University. Besides making All- America as a sophomore and junior, Jordan was named The Sporting News Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984 and winner of the Naismith Award and Wooden Award in 1984. He co-captained the U.S. basketball team to a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Jordan’s transcendence stemmed partly from good timing. Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls after his junior year in 1984, when the NBA was enjoying an era of unprecedented popularity. Americans were fascinated with the personal duels between two modern sports folk heroes, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers. When Bird and Johnson retired in the early 1990s, Jordan almost single handedly propelled the NBA to even more stratospheric levels of success and international visibility. Former coach Larry Brown observed, “I love Magic and Larry. But Michael,…. I’d pay money to see him play. I’d pay money to see him practice.”4 Jordan led Chicago to six National Basketball Association titles in the 1990s. Between 1991 and 1993, the Bulls became the first team in three decades to win three consecutive NBA championships. He was selected NBA Most Valuable Player in 1988, 1991, and 1992 and became the only hoopster ever voted NBA Finals MVP three straight times. He also starred for the U.S. Dream Team, gold medal winners in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games at Barcelona, Spain. Jordan soared to even greater heights after a nearly two-year hiatus to propel the Bulls to three more NBA titles from 1996 to 1998. Chicago shattered the NBA record for most victories in a single season with a 72–10 mark in 1995–1996, as Jordan became the first NBA player since 1970 to garner MVP awards from the All-Star Game, regular season, and NBA Finals. The Bulls still dominated the NBA the next two seasons, with Jordan snagging NBA MVP honors in 1998 and NBA Finals MVP accolades in 1997 and 1998. His intensive drive to win, extraordinary athletic ability, and uncanny basketball knowledge shone brilliantly when he battled influenza and personal fatigue to score the winning basket in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1999, having led the NBA in scoring 10 times, including seven consecutive seasons, and won five NBA MVP awards.